This invention is to provide a modified mechanism for the adjusting valve on the hydraulic cylinder of a stepper. Particularly for an unprecedented modified mechanism for the adjusting valve on the hydraulic cylinder of a stepper with compact design, easy and convenient installation and operation. It makes the two hydraulic cylinders with varied setting distance can be applied so that it can be operated with multi-function. It also let the two hydraulic cylinders can swing freely and have actual leakage prevention effect. It makes the adjustment of the flow amount between two hydraulic cylinders be with compactness, practicability. It makes the manufacture of the valve be compact, convenient, swift and economic. It meets the requirements of practical usability, ideality and improvement.
There are many kinds of steppers for exercise use. The methods to install two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2') are primarily divided into two types. One is fixed type, as shown in FIG. 1, the relative distance of which is narrower. The other is a mobile type, as shown in FIG. 2, the relative distance of which is wider and the hydraulic cylinders can swing alternately. In order to have the exerciser step on the paddles 4 (4') of the stepper to do exercise, the oil in these two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2') can flow into each other and can adjust the amount of the flow. Between the two hydraulic cylinders, there is a pressure adjusting valve 3 installed to adjust the standing force for exercise. The mechanism made of the pressure adjusting valve 3 is shown as FIG. 3-1, FIG. 3-2. It is mainly composed of a valve 31 and a adjusting rod 32. The both ends of the valve 31 are fitted with the joints 311 which is with inner thread or outer thread so that they can be fitted to the two hydraulic cylinders respectively by some kind of medium. In the center, there is a flow guide hole 312, and in the middle part there is a positioning tenon 313 with appropriate height. In addition to have a thread part 3131 with appropriate length fitted at the outer periphery of the upper end of the positioning tenon 313 for the positioning cap to lock on, there is a guide hole 3132 which extends downward with appropriate depth in the center. At the lower end of the guide hole 3132, there is a pressure adjusting rod 32 fitted orderly with a thread part 3133 and a conic part 3133 through the guide hole 312. In addition to have a rotational handle 321 fitted at the top of the pressure adjusting rod 32, below its middle part, there is orderly fitted with a ring groove 322 for leakage ring (a) to position and a thread part 323 for screwing and a conic head 324 which can just contact closely to the conic part 3134 of the guide hole of the valve 31. When the exerciser turns the handle 321 and make the pressure adjusting rod 32 lift up, as shown in FIG. 3-2, the conic head 324 of the pressure adjusting rod 32 will leave from the conic part 3134 of the guide hole 3132 of the valve and makes the guide hole 312 on. Contrarily, when the pressure adjusting rod 32 lower down, as shown in FIG. 3-1, the conic head 324 will contact the conic part 3134 of the guide hole 3132 of the valve and the guide hole 312 of the valve 31 will be blocked off. In other words, the pressure adjusting valve 3 is controlled by the area or the contact surface between the conic head 324 of the adjusting rod 32 and the conic part 3134 of the guide hole of the valve to decide the amount of the oil flow between two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2'). For applying on the adjustment and control of the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinders of the stepper, by using the match of the conic part 3134 at the lower end of the guide hole 3132 of the valve and the conic head at the lower end of the pressure adjusting rod 32 to decide the flow amount of the hydraulic cylinders, the mechanism provides the effect of usability and it is also the most common style. However, when put in practice, it is found that there are still some defects to be improved, which are when the pressure adjusting rod 32 is lifting up or lowering down, it needs the close match between the conic head 324 at its lower end and the conic part 3134 of the guide hole 3132 of the valve so that the oil amount of flowing in or out can be controlled precisely. (If the match is not precise enough, the oil flow will not be stable, even the blocked off condition can not be reached). Therefore, the manufacture and installation of the conic head 324 of the pressure adjusting rod 32 and the conic part 3134 of the guide hole 3132 of the valve have to be very accurate and smooth. Obviously, the cost to make them will be higher and the production speed will be slower and the defect rate in production is likely to be higher. In particular, when in boring the guide hole 312, the connecting part between the guide hole 312 and the conic part 3134 of the guide hole will have raspy edge. Obviously, it will have direct influence to the match between the conic head 324 of the pressure adjusting rod and the conic part 3134 of the guide hole of the valve. Even it is likely cause the leakage because they can not have close contact. Of cause, the raspy edge can be removed; however, this, when in practice, is a troublesome, inconvenient, time consuming and uneconomic task. The set up or the above mentioned pressure adjusting valve is that the direct set up can be done in the fixed condition when the distance between two hydraulic cylinders is narrower, as shown in FIG. 1. When it is in the condition of free swing, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance between two cylinders is wider and it needs to use some other special mediums to connect in order to work. In other words, the method to connect the pressure adjusting valve and the two hydraulic cylinders or a traditional stepper is to use the rotational joints to set up the free rotation positioning of the two cylinders and to connect an exposed flexible duct with appropriate length between the oil guide hole and the pressure adjusting valve. By using the flexibility of the two flexible ducts, the two hydraulic cylinders can be operated with swinging and oil flowing into each other when in stepping exercise condition. Although, this way can get the expected operational purpose, its major disadvantage is that the two exposed ducts are easily to be touched by the exerciser and cause the damage or loose of oil seal and have leakage occur, which makes the manufacturers feel very inconvenient. In order to improve this mentioned disadvantage, some manufacturers here have ever proposed a mechanism as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Its particular is that at the both ends of the traditional pressure adjusting valve 3, connecting a hydraulic pipe 8 (8') respectively. At the other ends of these two hydraulic pipes 8 (8'), there is providing with the positioning for connecting to two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2'). At the joints between them and the hydraulic cylinders 2 (2'), there is fitted with a oil hole 89 (89') respectively which connects to the center longitudinal hole 81 (81'). Besides, at the joint ring of the hydraulic cylinder 221 (221') which provides the positioning of the hydraulic tube 8 (8'), there is fitted with a ring groove 2221 (2221') which is homologous to the hydraulic pipe oil hole 89 (89'). In other words, when one end of each hydraulic pipe 8 (8') is connected to each end of the pressure adjusting valve 3 respectively, and the other end is matched with the oil seal 72, 73 (72', 73') and positioning buckle 71, 74 (71', 74') and are positioned loosely at the joint rings 221 (221') of the two hydraulic cylinders, these two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2') can be the basis of the positioning of the two hydraulic pipe 8 (8') directly to have swinging movement. In addition, the oil in them can flow to each other by the ring groove 2221 (2221'), oil hole 89 (89'), the longitudinal hole of hydraulic tube 81 (81') and the pressure adjusting valve together. Irrefragably, this kind of process can improve the defect that the exposed flexible duct is easily to get loose. Nevertheless, we know that because the employed pressure adjusting valve 3 is completely the same as the traditional one and is without any change. In particular, the both ends of the pressure adjusting valve support the hydraulic pips 8 (8') of the hydraulic cylinders 2 (2') respectively. They must have the characteristics of guiding oil and for the swinging of the two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2'). Naturally, their set up must be accurate and smooth. And the set up of the corresponding joint rings 221 (221') of the hydraulic cylinders (including the ring grooves 2221 (2221')) must be accurate and smooth too. Therefore, in practical manufacturing, it is obviously with troublesome, inconvenience, time consuming and diseconomy. Moreover, when these two hydraulic cylinders 2 (2') are in continuously swinging, the set up of the inner seal 73 and outer seal 72 is easily to be derogated, damaged and may cause oil leakage.
According to the above description, the set up and operation of the pressure adjusting valve of the traditional stepper is obviously with the defect in practice and needs to be improved.
Therefore, in order to improve the mentioned defect practically and effectively and to make the operation of the pressure adjusting valve more applicability and ideality. The inventor takes the advantage of his experience of developing and manufacturing varied kinds of valves, studies hard and uses the related knowledge and provides this invention.